HomeCrafters Returns Home to Caughlin Ranch with Pine Bluff Development

A beautiful, new housing development is coming to Caughlin Ranch. HomeCrafters returns to the neighborhood after 12 years with a new community called Pine Bluff, located in the heart of Caughlin Ranch, and nestled in the foothills between Evergreen, Seasons and Eaglesnest.

The site is 26+ acres and will feature 43 modern, semi-custom homes on lots that are approximately 1/3 acre and above. There will be three single story floor plans that will range from 2,854 square feet to 3,516 square feet, and two daylight basement floor plans that will range from 3,989 square feet to 4,316 square feet.

HomeCrafters is celebrating its 20th year in business, and is led by brothers Troy and Travis Means. Their company grew up in Caughlin Ranch having built the Pinehaven neighborhood and several custom homes in the Eaglesnest, Castle Ridge, Mountainshyre and Whispering Pine neighborhoods.

Troy and Travis’s fondness of Caughlin Ranch started years before the actual development of the community as they grew up on a neighboring Plateau Road. As children, they would spend their summers exploring what is now Caughlin Ranch. Their father, Alan Means, was co-developer for the Caughlin Ranch master plan, and also had a home building company called Caughlin Crafted Homes, that built several neighborhoods in the Ranch. Troy and Travis started their careers working various jobs in Caughlin Ranch, such as with the maintenance and construction crews during their high school and college summers.

“With Pine Bluff, we wanted to introduce a neighborhood that has a modern feel, yet fit within the Caughlin Ranch lifestyle,” said Troy Means, co-owner, HomeCrafters. “Pine Bluff will be on one of the last remaining parcels of land in the Caughlin Ranch area. It is very special for us to be able to build in a community where Travis and I grew up.”

Dickson Realty has been the real estate company for Caughlin Ranch since its inception, and currently sells more than 60 percent of the real estate in Caughlin Ranch, Juniper Hills and Juniper Ridge. HomeCrafters and Dickson Realty conducted focus groups prior to starting the Pine Bluff project, to gauge interest and obtain feedback on the community.

“From the feedback we received, we validated that there was a basis for demand in the area,” said Means. “There haven’t been any new neighborhoods built in Caughlin Ranch since the early 2000s. We gained valuable insight on what current homebuyers are looking for and the desirable features to be offered in these homes.”

“The HomeCrafters team is always on the cutting edge of the latest trends,” said Nancy Fennell, president, Dickson Realty. “Their philosophy is centered around the northern Nevada lifestyle – surrounded by nature, being family-friendly and enjoying all of the outdoors. They have people that follow them from one project to another, which is rare in the world of homebuilding. It is special for those of us who have been involved in Caughlin Ranch since the first stick was placed in the ground for development.”

Pine Bluff home prices are expected to start in the $700K’s. The award-winning firm, Jerry Gloss & KGA Studios from Boulder, Colo, is designing the homes. The firm worked with Caughlin Crafted Homes during the Ranch’s early beginnings.

The exteriors of the homes will consist of three different architectural styles featuring Tahoe Ranch, Mountain Rustic and Modern Mountain. Interior layouts will feature open floor plans and will offer several flex space options such as morning hearth rooms off the kitchen, back offices off the kitchen, multi-generational suites, kids’ private bonus rooms and more. Buyers will be able to choose from either a modern finish or one that is more traditional.

HomeCrafters has started the pre-sale process and anticipates starting mass grading and infrastructure this summer, with home construction beginning late fall. The first several homes will be completed in summer 2017. For more information about Pine Bluff, please visit pinebluffreno.com or contact Larissa Osborne with Dickson Realty at 775.848.6579.

February 3, 2016

Great news!!!! We are coming home to Caughlin Ranch this summer.

Since completing our last Caughlin Ranch project over 12 years ago, we have been hoping for another opportunity to build again in this wonderful master plan community. HomeCrafters was established in 1996 and our company grew up in Caughlin Ranch having built the Pinehaven community and several custom homes in the Eaglesnest, Castle Ridge, MountainShyre and Whispering Pine neighborhoods. Our fondness of the Ranch started at a young age for us. We literally started our work careers in the Ranch working on the HOA landscape maintenance crews during our high school and college summers in the late 80’s. During HomeCrafters’ 20th anniversary year, we are so proud to announce that we will be coming home to Caughlin Ranch this summer to begin our new community, Pine Bluff.

Pine Bluff will be located in the heart of the Ranch, nestled in the foothills between Evergreen, The Seasons and Eaglesnest. The site is 26+ acres and will feature 43 semi-custom homes on lots that are approximately 1/3 acre and above. There will be three single story floor plans that will range from 2,854 s.f. to 3,516 s.f. and two day light basement floorplans that will range from 3,989 s.f to 4,454 s.f. Prices are expected to start in the low $700’s. The homes are currently being design by the nationally award winning firm of KGA Studios out of Boulder, Colorado who just recently won several awards for their designs at the International Builders Show this past January. The exteriors of these homes will consist of three different architectural styles featuring Tahoe Contemporary Ranch, Mountain Rustic and Modern Mountain. Interior layouts will be very open and will offer several flex space options such as morning hearth rooms off the kitchen, back offices off the kitchen, multi- generational suite, kids private bonus rooms and the list goes on. Interior finishes have not been finalized but buyers can expect to be able to choose from either a more modern finish package or one that is more traditional.

We anticipate starting mass grading and infrastructure this summer with home construction beginning late fall. We are planning on hosting an informational meeting at the Dickson Realty Caughlin Ranch office in late spring. At that time, the floor plans and elevations will be unveiled and the presales process will be explained in detail. It is anticipated that we will begin presales sometime this summer. To register for an invitation to the informational meeting, please send your contact information including mailing address, email and phone number to info@homecraftersreno.com.

January 15, 2014

HomeCrafters and Parc Forêt celebrate grand opening of model homes.

It’s no coincidence that HomeCrafters has started building yet more stellar award winning homes in Reno. HomeCrafters was selected by Parc Forêt to be the builder of these fine luxury homes located in the premier gated community of Montrêux. Close to Lake Tahoe and Reno, Parc Forêt is a sublime setting of tree-lined pathways along with beautifully naturally landscaped open spaces where park-like amenities are there the moment you step out of your door. Then there are the homes. Stunning. Award-winning. Luxurious.

Today, Parc Forêt has 3 fully merchandised models available for viewing. The designs were completed by the award winning firm of Mark Sheurer Architects from Newport Beach, CA. The interior merchandising was done by the award winning firm of Design Tec from Newport Beach, CA. The models have been welcomed with rave reviews from both Montrêux residents and visitors. Come see for yourself. Models open now.

January, 2014

Parc Forêt, the final enclave of luxury semi-custom homes in Montrêux wins nine awards, both regionally and nationally for exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful lifestyle design.

by Molly Fathman, Marketing Director, Parc Forêt at Montrêux
Reno-Tahoe, NV – Parc Forêt, the latest and final enclave within the well-established Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course community of Montrêux, wins six awards from the Builder Association of Northern Nevada (BANN) and three Silver Awards from The Nationals. The three Silver National's Awards establish Parc Forêt as one of the few finalists in contention for the prized gold, to be awarded February 4, 2014, in recognition of superior craftsmanship, value, and home and lifestyle design. One of the BANN-ER awards, "Best Survival Strategy", nods to the coveted value of Parc Forêt's offering: a starting price of only $900k for a semi-custom state-of-the-art home with thoughtful open floor plans in a pristine, tree-lined, gated Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf community.

In a state where residents relish in the total absence of state and corporate income taxes, this price-for-value opportunity has further driven the flood of Californians seeking the true value of a Nevada address in a picturesque Tahoe setting, resulting in the rapid sell of 8 of 10 lots in the first release. Parc Forêt was developed by Ladera Development to highlight a lifestyle of culture, community and year round outdoor adventure in a region known for boasting an average of 300 days of sunshine annually. This idyllic neighborhood is just minutes from the world-renown recreation of Lake Tahoe, the Mount Rose Ski Resort, and the many conveniences of the Reno, Nevada metropolis.

"These prestigious awards not only highlight the quality of Parc Forêt, but recognize the Reno-Tahoe region nationally as a very desirous place to live. It is a great compliment to get regional and national recognition after the years of work our carefully chosen team of architects, engineers, designers and the renown Homecrafters builders have dedicated to this anomaly of a location." – James Pickett, Ladera Development.

Montrêux was established in 1995 and is comprised of just 540 home sites among 726 acres in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, just minutes from beautiful Lake Tahoe. This location provides a feeling of quiet, pristine serenity mixed with an abundance of year round recreation options including skiing, snowshoeing, cross country and Nordic skiing, hiking, biking, swimming, boating and an extended golf season. There is even a network of walking and biking nature paths that lead directly to an extensive system of trails in the Tahoe National Forest. Montrêux Golf Club members enjoy the ever-active lifestyle of sports and leisure, and an abundance of creative Social Club events and outings for all ages. Montrêux is also the home of the annual Reno-Tahoe Open, part of the PGA tour. In addition to being a close 15 minutes from the Reno-Tahoe International airport, Montrêux is just a short drive from Sacramento and the San Francisco bay area.

The Builders Association of Northern Nevada (BANN), is a non-profit entity affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders with the goal of creating a better quality of life, housing for Nevada's citizens, and economic prosperity by enhancing the new home building climate in northern Nevada. http://www.thebuilders.com

The Nationals - National Sales and Marketing Awards - is the nation's largest competition for sales and marketing professionals and communities. This prestigious competition pays tribute to superior sales and marketing achievements by individual professionals, homebuilders and associates, and sales and marketing councils. The three Silver National's Awards establish Parc Forêt as one of the few finalists in contention for the prized gold, to be awarded February 4, 2014, in recognition of superior craftsmanship, value, and home and lifestyle design. Only one other development in the entire tax-free state of NV was recognized, setting Parc Forêt apart from any local or regional developments. http://www.thenationals.com

For more information, please visit www.parcforet.com or call the Parc Forêt at Montrêux welcome center at 775.849.9444 to schedule a private tour of the three award-winning Parc Forêt model homes, and real estate opportunities. The Montrêux welcome center is open daily from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm and is located off of Mount Rose Highway (HW431) at 16475 Bordeaux Drive, Reno, NV 89511.

April 9, 2012

The Reserve at Monte Rosa Rolls Out Phase 2 With Buyers' Favorite

by Katie Schaffer, Switchback PR + Marketing, Inc.
Reno, NV — HomeCrafters of Reno is featuring one of its most popular designs as a brand new model home as phase two of The Reserve at Monte Rosa becomes available for purchase. The small, gated community, located just off Mt. Rose, has just 32 sites left available, many overlooking Whites Creek.

The founders of HomeCrafters Troy and Travis Means, third generation Nevadans, have built their business and designs around creating non-cookie-cutter, semi-custom homes for their clients. While many of their standard features stand out (10-foot ceilings, eight-foot interior doors, Hansgrohe plumbing fixtures, knotty alder and hickory cabinets, Anderson windows, and color palettes created by interior designers), buyers are encouraged to personalize their homes with custom built-ins, ceiling beams, and unique wall finishing for minimal costs.

With the opening of Phase 2, HomeCrafters has been able to open a model of their most popular design, often referred to as Plan 10.

"We sold our last plan 10 model, and many prospective clients have been disappointed that they've been unable to tour it," Troy said. "The plan won a best of show Banner Award (from the Builders Association of Northern Nevada) and includes a luxurious kitchen overlooking an expansive great room with vaulted beam ceilings. We've had numerous requests to open another model, so we're pretty eager to invite people to tour it and experience it up close."

The homes at Monte Rosa range from 2,388 to 4,400 square feet in both single and two-story floor plans. Prices range from $428,000 to $895,000.

"I think more and more people are realizing the benefits of a gated community," Troy said. "And Monte Rosa is unique. Overall the neighborhood is intimate, with bronze statues located throughout the area. The starting price is incredibly reasonable for a gated community featuring semi custom homes on larger lots."

Potential clients and interested buyers can take a virtual tour of a few of the Monte Rosa designs at www.MonteRosaReno.com but are encouraged to visit the new model home to experience the difference and quality of a HomeCrafters home. The sales center is open Fridays through Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located on Nature Trail Drive off Mt. Rose Highway. For more information, call 775-853-0866.

In addition to owners Troy and Travis Means, the HomeCrafters team has 5 full-time employees with more than 100 years of combined building experience. The company, which specializes in custom and semi-custom homes was established in 1996 and has built over 300 homes in the area. For more information on HomeCrafters, visit www.homecraftersreno.com or call 775-746-0808.

August 1, 2003

Brothers Carry on Family's Building Tradition

HOMECRAFTERS:Troy and Travis means were born into the home-building business.

BY SARAH PURDY, RENO GAZETTE JOURNAL
Reno, NV— For brothers Troy and Travis Means, co-owners of HomeCrafters in Reno, entering the building industry in Northern Nevada as custom home builders just came naturally.

Great-grandsons to the late Perry means, a Carson City architect; grandsons to structural engineer jack Means, owner of Means and Associates in Reno; and sons to Alan Means, owner of Juniper Trails Development and a major developer of Caughlin Ranch, the brothers said there was never any doubt they'd end up in the construction business one way or another.

"Both of us went away to college specifically to gain degrees in some form of the industry," said Troy Means, 35, who earned a bachelors degree in business administration and real estate development from the University Of Southern California, and founded HomeCrafters in 1996.

His younger brother, Travis, 31, joined him as an equal partner in the business in 1999, after graduating with a bachelors degree in construction management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and working in the San Francisco Bay Area in high-tech and biotech construction for five years.

It didn't take long for him to decide to come back to Reno: "The number-one reason I came back was the quality of life, the lifestyle. The vast majority of my hobbies are outdoors in the Tahoe region – the quality of life is just far superior here."

Formal education aside, the business partners' experience in building began at an early age.

"We started out as laborers at about 14 or 15 and worked our way through the various aspects of the business," Travis Means said.

"We started getting paid at 15. When (our father) had an engineering firm, we went on surveying projects with him, I remember, when I was seven or eight," Troy means said.

Although their family's reputation and strong ties to the community were a big help in forming business relationships and securing financing in the beginning, HomeCrafters has built a formidable reputation in its own right in the past seven years.

The firm has grown rapidly since its first year, when Troy Means and his two employees – a superintendent and field associate – built only two homes.

Now HomeCrafters – which specializes in building custom homes ranging in price from $500,000 to more than $2 million – has 10 full-time employees in addition to the owners, and builds an average of 20 to 25 homes per year. Their annual gross sales volume last year was $13 million.

The business consists of two divisions: a semi-custom homes and remodel division, which Travis Means heads up, and a custom home division, run by Troy Means.

The builders recently sold out Pinehaven, a neighborhood community in Caughlin Ranch consisting of 54 high-end, semi-custom homes that have won numerous Builders Association of Northern Nevada BANNER awards and Parade of Homes awards.

HomeCrafters has built custom homes in Montrêux, Verdi, Washoe Valley, Arrowcreek, Caughlin Ranch and Field Creek; just secured an approximately 70-acre parcel in southwest Reno for a new community.

They have also purchased 20 semi-custom homesites at Sommersett, where they'll break ground this fall.

Prices for HomeCrafters' semi-custom homes at Sommersett will start in the $600,000s.

The Means attribute the success they've achieved over the past seven years to professionalism, dedication to quality and customer service, personal involvement in every project.

They're also aware of the importance of having enough employees to allow themselves quality time with their families.

"Our personal lives and family lives are pretty important to us; we probably carry more staff than others to accommodate that lifestyle. "Troy means said.

"With all the pressures associated with this industry... a person can burn out pretty quickly working all the time, which doesn't reflect well on the company or the product.